Transformation of elite maize inbreds is an important technology for developing maize inbreds and hybrids with improved agronomic traits. Work by Armstrong and others (D. D. Songstad, W. L. Petersen, C. L. Armstrong, American Journal of Botany, Vol. 79, pp. 761-764, 1992) showed that it was possible to interbreed a more culturable, agronomically poor maize line (A188) with an agronomically desirable, less transformable line (B73) to produce a novel line, Hi-II, with increased culturability and regeneration. Hi-II maize has been used for maize transformation for a number of years because of its high transformability and good culturability, but Hi-II is a hybrid. Non-homozygous plants used in developing transgenic traits are problematic. It is easier to determine the effects of a transgene when a uniform, homozygous, background is used in transgene development. Another disadvantage of using Hi-II in transformation is that it does not have the quality genetics that are present in current elite inbreds. When developing a transgenic product the transgene is moved into an elite background through cross pollination. After the initial cross, backcrossing is used to remove as much of the Hi-II deleterious genome as possible. This is a labor intensive and time consuming process. It would therefore be beneficial to have a homozygous maize variety that has an elite genotype while also maintaining high transformability and good response in culture.